The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-06-15

The Socialists IN Politics
a dispatch from Chicago, which appeared
in the MORNING NEWS yesterday, stated
that the Socialistic Labor party was making
preparations to enter politics on national
issues, and that call had been issued by
the National Executive Board for conven-
ton to be held some time in September. A
I convention Of the Labor party of New York
is to be held at Syracuse, in that State, on
Aug, II, the purpose being TO nominate
State officers for the fall election.
While it IS not stated that the
Socialistic Labor party, which has its head
quarters at Chicago, and the Labor party Of
New York belong to the same organization,
it is probable that they are not so far apart
IN their aims and objects that it would be a
! difficult matter for them to come together
on national issues. Whatever differences
there may he between them could, in all
probability, be easily halmonized, and that
an effort will be made TO harmonic them,
in order to secure greater strength, there is
no good reason to doubt.
1t is stated by the New York Herald that
three Of the planks that will be put in the
platform Of the New York Labor party are
known. The Henry George land theory is
one of them; another is that the govern
ment shall take possession of the railroads
and telegraphs, and the other is that legal
tender notes shall be issued by the govern
ment to take the place of the coin stored in
the Treasury. 1t is probable that all of
these planks are unobjectionable to the So
cialists of Chicago and other sections of the
country.
OF course the Socialists know that alone
they have not sufficient strength to play a
prominent part in national, or even State,
politics. What they hope TO do is to draw
to their standard workingmeH in all parts
of the country. If they can do that they
viii be able to WELD very considerable
power at the ballot-box. But can they draw
the workingpen to their standard. They
certainly believe they can, and doubtless
they base this belief upon the large vote
which Henry George received in the last
election for Mayor of New York city.
II is probable, however, that workingmen
will have their eyes opened TO the dangers
of socialism before the national contest in
1888, and will refuse to have anything to do
18th party which. if it were successful at
the polls, would not do them any good.
Even Henry George has never satisfactorily
explained how his land theory would benefit
the poor man. Every earnest workingnlan
who hasn't home of his own is looking for
ward to the time when he will have one,
and not a few of them expect, in the course
of time, to be owners of land. 1t is difficult
to see, therefore, how they are to be con-
WINGED that they will be benefited by Henry
Georges land scheme.
If the government were to take possession
not only of the land but also of the rail
roads and telegraph lines how would the
condition of workingmen be improved? The
government doesn't pay as good wages as
can be obtained elsewhere, and the transfer
Of the railroads and telegraphs to it would
only result in centralizing it and doubling
the number of its employees. The working
men would not be benefited. The chances
are that they would be harmed. As the
government grows stronger the ballot
becomes weaker The ballot is now the
means by which the workingmen seek to
redress whatever wrongs they may suffer,
and as the importance of that declines the
less able will they be to compel attention to
their complaints.
The issuance of legal tender notes by the
government would help SPECTATORS, but
would not those who labor with their
hands, If it should cause an increase
in wages the increase would be no.
where near as great as the increase
in the prices of everything workingmen
require. Indeed, it is difficult to see how the
condition of workingmen would be i'm
proved by any one of the three things which
the New York Labor party proposes to put
in its platform. When they become con-
WINGED of this, and doubtless they will be-
come convinced of it, they will let the
Socialists and Henry George alone.